'Blade Runner' Pistorius, charged with murder, sobs in court

By Robyn Curnow , Ashley Fantz and Faith Karimi, CNN

updated 11:32 PM EST, Fri February 15, 2013

Oscar Pistorius appears in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday, March 3. South Africa's double amputee track star is accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013.

Pistorius won gold for the first time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. He won the 200-meter final and set a new world record. The South African sprinter has been called the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs.

Prosthetic legs stand on the ground as Pistorius coaches children in Manchester, England, in April 2006.

Pistorius poses with his medals from the IPC Athletics World Championships in January 2011. He won three world titles there but lost the 100-meter T44 final to Singleton. It was his first loss in a race over 100 meters since the 2004 Paralympic Games.

Pistorius passes the baton to Ofentse Mogawane in a 4x400-meter relay race during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in September 2011. Pistorius was the first double amputee athlete to compete at the World Athletics Championships.

Pistorius races in the men's 400 meters during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Pistorius competes in the London Olympics.

Pistorius carries the South African flag during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics in London.

Pistorius competes in a men's 400-meter T44 heat at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Pistorius poses on the podium with his gold medal after winning the men's 400-meter T44 final at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Pistorius receives his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2012.

A picture taken on January 26, 2013, shows Pistorius and Steenkamp at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.

Pistorius leaves the Boshkop police station with his face covered on February 14, 2013.

Pistorius, swamped by the press, leaves a Pretoria courtroom in June.

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Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Famous runner Oscar Pistorius rejects murder allegation

Pistorius shakes uncontrollably as he faces murder charges

Nike pulls an ad featuring Pistorius and the word "bullet"

Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- An international sports icon is behind bars. His girlfriend is dead. And South Africa is grappling with one of its most notorious killings in recent memory.

Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius, known as Blade Runner for his lightning-fast prosthetic legs, shook and sobbed Friday when a judge officially charged him with killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

Wearing a dark suit, he buried his head in his hands at a packed courtroom in Pretoria. Prosecutors said they plan to charge the 26-year-old with premeditated murder.

Neighbors alerted authorities to the early morning shooting, saying they had "heard things earlier," according to police spokeswoman Denise Beukes. She did not clarify what the neighbors reported they heard.

The track star was arrested the same day.

Steenkamp's killing rattled South Africa, not only for the fame factor, but also because the country is grappling with a disturbing problem -- 71% of women report that they've been the victim of sexual abuse. Just in the past few weeks, 17-year-old Anene Booyson died after being gang-raped and mutilated in the tiny tourist town of Bredasdorp, two hours southeast of Cape Town.

Booyson's death inspired this week's nationwide rape awareness day dubbed Black Friday. The day before she was killed, Steenkamp retweeted a message on Twitter in support of Black Friday.

South Africa has passed tough legislation that includes a requirement for a thorough background check for prospective gun owners. The check includes spouses and partners, and is repeated every few years, he said.

"There are already more than enough laws and regulations to control the possession of firearms by private citizens," it says on its website. "Fewer and less complex laws reasonably, yet properly, applied could achieve the required objective."

One issue in South Africa is stolen guns. Guns are often stolen from home, reports show, but also from the police.

Statistics suggest that 18,196 police firearms have been lost or stolen during the five-year period beginning April 1 2005 to March 31 2011.

From hero to murder suspect

Beyond the violence, South Africans struggled with the idea that they've lost a hero, an athlete who embodied what it meant to overcome incredible physical odds.

When Pistorius was a toddler, his legs were amputated below the knees because of a bone defect.

Other Pistorius sponsors -- including prosthetics manufacturer Ossur, British Telecom, and Oakley, which makes sunglasses and other products -- expressed condolences and said they had no further comment.

The sports icon appeared in headlines across the nation, overshadowing the State of the Union address by President Jacob Zuma.

"Golden Boy Loses Shine," read a headline on the front page of the Sowetan.

The Pretoria court postponed Pistorius' bail hearing to Tuesday and ordered him to remain in custody until then. Prosecutors said they will argue that he committed premeditated murder.

Authorities said they will oppose bail, but did not provide their reasons for the decision.

He shattered barriers

The double amputee's London Olympics appearance brought controversy, as some said the prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage.

Pistorius was initially refused permission to enter the Olympics, but he hired a legal team to prove that his artificial limbs did not give him an unfair advantage, and he was allowed to compete.

While he did not win a medal, his presence on the track was lauded as an example of victory over adversity and dedication to a goal.